


The Spiders Shadow

by Physicallyfat



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Demons, Graphic Description, Hazbin Hotel - Freeform, Hell, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Inappropriate Humor, M/M, Mobsters, Snakes, Spiders, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Physicallyfat/pseuds/Physicallyfat
Summary: WARNING: Very strong language.A dark spider is greeted by happenstance with a new friend. They fall in love but she holds a secret that could destroy their relationship.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	The Spiders Shadow

~The Spiders Shadow~  
By Fizzicallysnek

“Arackniss! You're so tense!”

A drunken slap lands on Arackniss’ back. “Ow,” he growled.

“Loosen up son!” his face painted with a large sloppy grin seeping sickening smells of poison. “Why, There's a ripe piece of ass right there” a drink waives vaguely in the direction of the collection of girls across the floor. “Thhhat one theurrr!”. Arackniss couldn't see where his hairy arm gestured to. Like pointing to a needle with a bowling ball. Arackniss felt some unseen object cling around his throat tighter, giving his neck a small scratch in the process.  
If it's a woman, he already knows what he's pointing to. He's done it all the time, every time. The ones HE always suggests are always for him. Slutty, dumb, quiet… ‘Compliant’. Arackniss grunted in compliance, and looked.

“You gotta loosen up! You work so much!”  
Now he's definitely drunk. Not a single compliment would ever escape his mouth. If it weren't loosened by the amount of drinks he's had.

“Take a load off boy! You work too mush” hes rambling. The bear-like arms swing around Arackniss's frame as his body is shoved in closer to his father. “They're here for our pleasure right? Go ahead and use one of ‘em up.”  
Sickening chills ran throughout Arackniss’s body.

Uncomfortably close the hulk leans in and whispers.“You can even kill one o ‘em if you like, they're cheap tramps anyways. Disposable right?“ he laughs loudly, throwing his head back.  
Another back slap was definitely on its way. His red eyes looked up hooked onto one. Different girl. She stood fairly tall. Taller than the rest of the girls actually. A large, feather adorned hat that held an eye on it. A flowing long fluffy dress. Looked nineteenth century. Black, pink and gold. A classical dress by Arackniss’s standards.

A small grunt leaves the small spider's mouth, “Alright.” any other condition, or goon would have deserved a vulgar reply. But if getting with a girl meant getting away from his father. He'd take it. And it might just be worth it this time.

“EYYaaa THATTA BOY!” The mass of slurred speech and hair flung his arms up in jubilation. Then falls backwards onto the floor.  
Arackniss laughed with a short breath. His target locked itself into view. The tall woman with the dress. He approached and her height dawned on him. She was almost twice his height. Her hand fluttered a small victorian fan in front of her face. The light shone off of her scaled hand like jewels. Her piercing pink eyes turned to meet his. Some form of intelligence made its home in those eyes. She's different alright. For once maybe that old bastard had a worthwhile idea. Arackniss thought.

“Hey” the spider approached. A sniper's subtlety was long distance.

“O-oh hello young man-”

‘Young man.’ Now that's something Arackniss has not heard in a while. He smiled.

“-Where's your parentsss?”  
The guards slip a chuckle out of their mouths just before a group of pistols enter three of their mouths.

“You are lucky my father Likes all of you shitheads” Fire rose in his eyes. “I would pull the trigger right now If you were deemed ‘disposable. So watch your goddamn mouths.” He growled.

The men had a wash of cold death on their faces. They grab their ‘entertainers’ for the evening and leave with haste.

“And you” the spider looks at the Victorian snake. His tone mellowed, if only a little. “Whatch your mouth too, or I’ll fuckin shoot it off. Capiche?” he didn't point the firearms to her like the others. Instead they were holstered. Careful to avoid muzzle sweeping her. Pointing guns to someone is only needed for a creature that can defend itself. She may look intelligent but something stayed his hand from pointing them to her.

“O-oh, y-yesss good ssir. Forgive me” she states formally. A snake tongue flips about with her ‘s’ sounds. She leans forward with a short bow. Her eyes were filled with Arackniss’s small, slender figure. Small thin legs held him up. A sharp, black, web like tailcoat hugged his body, with an equally webby bow tie. His dress shirt underneath was a sick, dark yellow. On top rested a black fedora to complete the ensemble. Long lashes beat in the air as their eyes met. Arackniss’s cold heart fluttered.

“May I asssk?” she began. “What model of handgunss were those?”

Arackniss looked at her with confusion. ‘Guns?’ who the fuck is interested in his guns? And a hooker too? This woman became more interesting. Possibly dangerous.  
Exciting more like it.

“Revolvers chambered in .45 caliber” Arackniss said. “The other ones I prefer are magazine fed. 1911 model.”

The technicalities are almost lost on her, but she seems to understand. Her eyes brighten up as she speaks, “Could I inspect one?” she curiously, and quietly asked.

A woman asking for a gun. He chuckled. What could she do? A lesson taught by his father. Arackniss hands over a revolver.

“Oh my, quite the craftsmanship!” her eyes grow brighter. “These are quite beautiful!” her hand holding the fan lowers revealing a wide smirk and red lipstick. The handle is tenderly held as her eyes scan over the weapon. as both hands grip the gun and inspect the bore of the gun.

She's going to get herself killed if she pulls that trigger. Arackniss exasperates, ‘fucking women’ in his mind. But the thought is gone as he looks at her smile shine out from the dim rosy light. Two large fangs creep out in the grin. Her cheeks have a soft blush applied to them that coaxes a smile from Arackniss.

She hands the gun back. And immediately covers her face again.

“Thank you.” she bows again as she turns away from him beginning to leave.

Everything she does. Arackniss felt a sickness leave his stomach. He looks her up and down. The corset form fitting her waist exaggerated her hips and small bust. The mystery of what was underneath intrigued Arackniss.

“Alright. Yeah. let's get a room hmm?” Arackniss smiles. “You and me.”

“E-eh?” she turns and chokes on the words.

Was she not expecting it? She's a ‘social worker.’ a ‘lady of the night’ a whore. She should be used to it by now. But arackniss didn't care. She was the least sickening, and by far the best one he's seen in hell. “Lets have some more talk. This room stinks like shit.” said the spider looked around over the sea of his ‘family,’ and his father.

He held out his hand and she hesitantly took it. Not that he wouldnt sex her in the room later, but he was truthful about the room. Maybe he does work too much. And this woman, she was a breath of fresh air in that choking room. There had been a feeling of a strange necklace around him for a long time. The hallways passed slowly around them. Yes it was clearer now, he could feel the barbed wire choking around his neck. Its sharp nervous spikes rusted its points by her company. Her soft velvety glove made his head light, and clear.. The noise of the party slowly faded away and the wires around his neck with it. Only the sound of their steps could be heard as a vacant room came into view.  
“Here.” Arackniss started.  
A waiter walked by out of the corner of his eye.  
“Hey, dipshit!”  
“Oh! How can I help you, Sir Arackniss?”  
“Bring me some drinks to my room.”  
“As you wish”  
The spider and his guest enter the room. Arackniss hangs up his coat and hat on the coathanger, a pair of gun holsters hug to his small lithe form as he undresses. The snake concubine nervously stands at the door gripping her dress. A small unnoticed drip of sweat forms on her brow. She looked for an escape.  
Arackniss sauntered over to the bed. She eyes the pistols on him. Small glimmers of light shine out of the jacket on the hanger, its littered with small knives and additional tools of death.  
“Need an invite?” he growled in annoyance, “sit down… Please” Arackniss never felt the need to say please. But he liked her. A little nicety always helped loosen people up, so why not? She slithers forth and sits down on the bed. Her dress pushes out and covers a large portion of the bed. Her coils unfold out from the bed in the process.  
“You, uh-” she stammers. Light from the open door shimmer off her scales on her cheeks and fingers. “Have a lot of weaponsss.”  
“I do.” he spoke quietly and calmly.  
“Your name is Arackniss?”  
“Yes.”  
“Why are you here?”  
Why wouldn't he? “This is a mobster party.” He starts. Who was this bitch? “How did you come here and not know it's a gala?”  
“W-well I knew that!” she's angry. She blushes behind her paper veil in her hand.  
Arackniss sighed. “I'm the Gangs Hitman, y’see? My father, the big man, gives me a name. And I find them.” He looks up to her. “That's pretty much it.” he rests on his hands leaning back on the bed.  
“I see” she was quiet.  
Her eyes said it all. She looked him up and down. ‘A pipsqueak like this schmuck?’ she’d say. Arackniss gets that a lot.  
“You look very skilled for it.”  
Arackniss is quiet. That was unexpected. Most people notice his size before anything else. Then he remembers the ‘where are your parents’ quote and feels a hate rise within him.  
Little knocks came from the door frame just before its penetrated by the bartender. “Here your drinks... sir.” the demon carts in a bottle of vodka with a bucket of glass and other bottles to accompany it,  
“Want anything?” Arackniss gestures the snake to the kart with a nod.  
“Surprise me.” she reluctantly said.  
He chuckles. “Give me two white russians. Double dose.”  
The drinks are mixed, and double dosed. No words. Then the bartender leaves. Arackniss sees him out and hangs, “do not disturb” on the door handle.Drink in hand he walks back to the bed. Eyeing up the woman before him in the dark.  
“I like you”  
She looks back at him surprised.  
“What's your name, woman?” Arackniss looks into his drink.  
She hesitates looking around. “Oh me!”  
Who else would it be you dunce?  
“My name….” She's thinking for a moment before speaking up. “Pen-ny”  
A cute name. Arackniss smiles. “Well Penny.” he holds up his glass looking into her crimson eyes. “What else do you like?”  
The glasses raise up. And clink together. He takes a sip. Mixing in the milk into the alcohol with the ice in his drink. Penny takes a sip as well. And rather likes the flavor with a soft ‘mmm’. Guns, liquor, cute, and charming. What a unique creature he has found tonight. The alcohol loosens their lips as conversations of guns continue. And she asks questions too! This woman had surprises for Arackniss at every turn. He couldn't remember having a conversation so casually before. The words all blend together. Burning alcohol rushes through their veins. They both get quiet. Wandering eyes, impatiently search the room. Only to meet. The spider takes the shining jeweled arm, gifting it a tender kiss on the top of it. She averts her gaze smiling. He gives her more with a sloppy smile. Kissing up her arm till he hits the sleeve. He pushes it back and kisses more  
She looks at him eyes wide. But she doesnt stop him. The veil falters and falls between them. Their demonic eyes meet, and lean in. their lips touch, and the night fades into a comforting warmth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Arackniss! Get your worthless ass out of that fucking bed right now!”  
That could only be his father. Nobody would challenge Arackniss like that. Nobody with a long life expectancy anyways. Arackniss’s head pounded on his shoulders as he got up. The light from the door seared his retinas. Who would have thought something could be ‘too bright’ in hell. Arackniss vowed to not drink again. His eyes met the glasses littering the bed stand next to him. He peeled the bedsheets off of him. He felt a sweaty dirtiness in the sheets. Amongst other things. Some of his fur was matted stuck up uncomfortably.  
Wrinkled clothes and scattered bedsheets littered the room. Memories flooded his mind from last night. He grinned, grabbing his clothes and dressing himself out the door. All his weapons were present. A quick glance into the mirror showed wrinkles in his suit, and crooked profile. He slimmed it down as best he could with a hangover. Basically: hardly at all.  
“Have some fun last night?” His father grunted outside the door.  
“Yes.”  
:”Honestly thought that woman was going to die last night” he chuckles. “Ugly whore, She looked like a bad painting with a pussy. Saw her leave not an hour ago.” he chuckles.  
Humor is lost on arackniss. He walks to the door and opens it. “Do you need something?”  
The massive form, five times his size, swings around and stares down Arackniss.  
“Watch your Goddamn tone around me you little shit!”  
Arackniss winced during the swift action, covering himself with an arm.  
“You need to be ready whenever I need you.” he continues. “Gotta make sure you're not SLACKING off.”  
“And this man said I worked too hard last night.” Arackniss thought to himself. Ending it with an apt, ‘fuck you.’ But he could never say that out loud. Fear stole that phrase from his vocabulary and locked it away.  
“I am up now. Call me when you need me.” he walked away.  
The large spider-scorpion growed.

Making it outside, a thought struck arackniss. ‘Maybe i should check my phone.’ Flashes of the night prior rub against his migraine. The belief sets in that he had obtained a number. A grumbling groan reaches his throat as he pulls out the, ‘smart phone” his father got for him. The purpose of them was lost on arackniss.  
“Since when did phones get to fit in our pockets and hold hundreds of numbers? And who designed this fucking thing?” he murmured outside prepping a cigarette with another pair of arms.  
A red flashing number one appeared on a small icon. Something new. Touch screen, that's right. He remembers. A gentle press on the icon brings up a menu of empty messages save for one highlighted by a number he doesnt recognize. Tapping on the message it enlarges a text log. ‘Interesting’.  
“I had a wonderful time the night prior. I’d like to see you some more. -Sincerely, Lady Penny”  
Arackniss’s headache became a bit less agonizing. His chest pounded. Everything came rushing in.  
“Thats right, I did fuck her last night.” His face lit up red. Cigarette danced in his lips as a smile spread across his face.  
The usual routine of wandering around the city bored was suddenly booked full. He feverishly grabbed his phone and deciphered its mystery.  
His fingers raised up to the device and struggled to navigate its foreign screen. “Are you available today?” and hit send.  
Animated dots appear next to his screen followed by.  
“I am indeed available today. Who is this? Is this the Spider gentleman I met the night before? Arackniss was it? -Sincerely, Lady Penny”  
Struggling again he fought against the phone and typed once more. “Yes! Where do you want to meet?”  
Five minutes went by. Anger nipped on Arackniss’s heels. Waiting for assignments became normal. Sometimes months would pass without a hit, but here, right now, five minutes felt like years. How irritating it was..  
“Meet me at the Cafe on boar-walk, and the one shop full of those nasty tools. -Sincerely, Lady Penny”  
She must mean the sex shop on the ‘boardwalk. Luckily for her the boardwalk only has one sex shop. Makes it easier to find at least.  
“I’ll be waiting.” and sent.  
Arackniss read the messages over. “Sincerely, Lady Penny.” Is this the form of etiquette people made with phones? He thought it was an awful lot of effort to just talk to someone. Or call them.  
“Fuck, why didn’t I just call her?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A lorelei blimp fades into obscurity. The cup of espresso extra, double soul-black rests half empty on the table. Arackniss nurses his hangover cradling his head with his upper left arm staring off into the hellish red sky. Building scraping its atmosphere with neon lights and vulgar slang.  
“Arackniss?”  
Turning around, Arackniss met the shapely form of the one he saw last night. He smiled.  
“Hey,” a chair shoved out from the table from his foot.  
The snake looked just as elegant as the night before. She struggled to look at him directly as she sat down. Her dress was slimmer. Definitely less puffy. Upon gazing, Arackniss was even more pleased with this dress.  
“D-d-d-. Do you recall lassst night well?” Her voice carried a sound of worry. “We were both a bit, well. ‘Arfarfan’arf’ed that night.”  
“I wish I could remember more. My head hurts like a motherfucker.” he rubbed his headache, which is now a dull humm.  
“O-oh” she sighed relieved.  
“What's to be worried about?” his eyes trailed the table and her hands resting on the table. He reached for it and gently gripped it. He broke eye contact.  
Feigning a frown, struggled to not smile when he said, “I ain’t lyin’.I had a really good time last night.” He wondered how to speak the situation. How does one even speak about these sorts of things?  
Penny’s heart fluttered. “That iss… comforting,” she smiled and gripped back to him. The two monsters sit quietly at the table, hands locked gingerly in silence. Their faces grow stupid grins. Eyes struggling to meet. Arackniss felt nervousness stir in his heart. He struggled to think of why this ‘whore’ was nervous as well. “Don't they grab love, and toss it out once their husband is used up? Pockets empty, and everything?” Eventually his thoughts are interrupted with Penny prying into his business with his father. Arackniss: the fabled sniper of hell. Penny is confused. ‘Fabled,’ ‘myth?’ She says she's never heard of snipers in hell. Or stories. Arackniss grins.  
“There's no stories to tell if they're dead.”  
Penny felt a chill run down her spine. “OH MY!”.  
He smiles looking at her. Then wonders if he's a schmuck for falling for this cute girl act. It's working. So a schmuck he stays.  
“How did you get into the business?” Penny asked.  
A stillness surrounds Arackniss. The smile on his face fades. “I was born into it.” His features were grim. He can recall tales from his underlings of their childhoods.Playing in the woods, dodging parents, catching frogs and finding girls at school. Was that a normal life?  
Arackniss looks to his hands. He sees himself loading shells at the age of seven. Images of killing his first man at fifteen. Teaching an underling a “lesson” at 19. His hands begin to shake as the taste of his blood is rediscovered. A foul pit of black fills his stomach. It rises up and vomits out of his mouth in a pool of conversation. He tells her all of it.  
He cant stop. ‘What compels me to share this bitch my life story?’ the thought is soon erased from him as her hand remains in his…  
“... And your father?” Penny chimes in affectionately. Making his hand settle still.  
But then his father. Dear lord, oh god. His father. The black in his gut chokes up a solid brick of void. He feels it stick outward through his skin and rip through his body.  
He chokes on it.. The conversation stops.

‘What happened?’ He catches his breath. ‘What did i say exactly?’ He fails to recall. The images, memories and feelings, all stewed up, controting his head into an amalgam of feelings that accumulates to stress.  
“Are you well Arackniss?”  
Arackniss looked up to Penny. Eyes overflowing with worry.  
“Our discussssion halted at your father. You went quiet after inquiry.” Her grip tightened around his hand.  
A lightness fills his head.  
“We don't have to talk about him anymore if you wish it.”  
The bial in his throat subsides back into his chest. He's still catching his breath. The rest of his hands reach up over the table and meet hers. Her hands held all four of them as best she could. The darkness receded deeper. It met its limit and rests for another day. He looks up to Penny. A shy grin reaches across his face. A comforting hand reaches Araknis’ shoulder. A stillness falls upon him. He can finally breathe.  
“We don't have to talk about him if you don’t want to.” Penny reaffirms.  
Arackniss takes a deep breath. And thought. ‘What the fuck? How long was I talking?” he breathes it out slowly with another tangential subject. “I also have siblings.”  
Penny perks up a little. “Oh siblings? I’m an only child. Tell me about them. Do you have a sister?”  
“Yeah, a brother too”  
“A brother? How fun!” she smiles.  
“You're neva gonna believe it.”  
“Why?”  
“Cause my Brother is that faggot hell fawns over like an addition.” Arackniss tries to chuckle. Self levity to sooth the turmoil.  
Penny is confused, “Your brother is a bundle of sticks?”  
Arackniss’ expression turned confused, then melts into genuine chuckling. “What? No no no. My brother is that porn star Angel Dust.”  
Penny’s eyes turned to a shaken mixture of surprise, and angry. It looked cute to Arackniss. “That class-less wretch is your brother?!”  
Arackniss giggles again, “yea”  
Penny rages on that Angel dust had ruined her plans multiple times. Her hair puffed up but was restrained by her ponytail. Fists shaking in the air, arms flailing around articulating her words. But mostly frustrations. He has stomped on her ‘progress,’ at every turn they had seen each other at. Whatever that meant. Arackniss was still reeling from his guts being spilled. Listening felt good. Her raging stops by two words.  
“You're cute.” uttered by the spider.

He wasn't sure if he could remember it all, but he was happy to be here. This might have just been his best ‘day off’.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Permit me this request dear Arackniss, Would you care to accompany me tonight? Sincerely, Lady Penny”

“Cant, working. :heart_emoji:”

“Wishes of favorable winds, and swift strikes bless you my spider. And remind me to ask you how to perform those visual heat messages. Chuckaboo! -Sincerely, Lady Penny”

“Yes”

“Are you free tonight? -Niss”

“Forgive me my love-” Arackniss particularly loved this one. “I cannot meet with you tonight. I have a very important event tonight. And I must request we convene later. Thank you for understanding. Sincerely, Lady Penny :heart_emoji: :heart_emoji: :heart_emoji:”

Arackniss scrolled through his phone messages. Talking is nice, but the quiet messages of ‘texting’ brings him satisfaction. Something very tranquil about the quiet, and reading the words Penny sent him the past months.  
“Ah, thank you for waiting my darling.” she leaned in and gave Arackniss a gentle kiss below his left eyes.  
“Hey quit it with that mushy shit” Again, he struggles to feign a frown.”Were in public!”  
“I know” she smiles sitting down next to him.  
”I wanna talk to you about, well, what we almost talked about the first time we met.  
“Is this about your father?”  
The damming void rose up again.  
Without talking, she reached for his hand again. It helped a lot before, and it still does. Niss slowly works himself up to speak.  
“I-Wanna talk about my mom first.”  
“Of course.”  
‘Goddammit Niss stop stalling just falk about that fat bastard already.’ he yelled at himself in his mind.  
“I-uh. Didn't get to meet my mother that much.” he wondered what had happened to this ‘relationship, shit’ hes gotten himself into. By now other people would probably be banging on the regular. All the while Penny hasn’t put out. Kept saying she ‘wasn't ready.’ Arackniss didn't understand. But he felt willing to wait for her. And now they're having heart to heart on the regular... He cleared his head.  
“My mom, uh. ‘Died,’ when I was young.”  
Penny’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry for your loss Niss.”  
The darkness rose up and coughed up in his throat“You wanna know what the worst part is?” the deep dark blackness filled his ribcage. It was smoldering, and ate at his flesh.  
Penny looked on. Not every meeting was like this. Most are casual, but the first meeting felt so ‘strange’ to Arackniss. Everything in between was mindless timewasting. But the kind of time wasting he was all about. As long as it was with her. He wondered if his mom would have been like this as well.  
The smoldering object regurgitated out of his mouth. “The man I had known most of my life, Who would beat us senseless if we would mess up.”  
Penny looked mortified.  
“That worthless sack of shit. I’m still unsure but I can help but think...”  
“What?”  
“He killed my mom.”  
Penny stared, covering her mouth with her left hand.. “Oh no.” she whispered. One of her hands reached up to his cheek and wiped away a tear. Arackniss didn't even notice the tears. Penny was speechless.  
“Wow, what a way to start off this hangout you retard” Arackniss barked at himself again.  
They are quiet for a moment. Penny holds her hands on his.  
“Sorry” Arackniss muttered.  
“No no no, you are fine. How, - Wh-... “ words could not articulate in her dictionary addled tongue. All manner of questions came to her all at once. But maybe for another time. All she did for the rest of that time was reach for Arackniss, and hold him close. Arackniss thought he felt water drip onto his shoulder. He thought it was his own tears. He remained silent too. Not much to say after that, he figured. Then he snapped back. Releasing the hug, pushing her away. Right, public, right...  
“What can ya do? At least she's in heaven. Away from that piece of shit. But now i'm down here. Stuck with him and my idiotic brother”

Some time later walking down the street. Things were still silent between them. Arackniss looked around until his eyes looked over Penny. Tall, composed, neat, and most of all, beautiful. He looks down to himself. It's like a punk, walking side by side with an elite member of society. It was as if he was her bodyguard. Her tiny, ferocious, bodyguard. The thought bothered him. He looked back to Penny. She looks at him, and smiles. A calm warmth washes over Arackniss.

Penny sees his expression shift. This makes her happy. It's awfully quiet between them. They've been walking the promenade for over 10 minutes in silence. She understands that Arackniss is the silent type. But it rather irritated Penny. A shop crawled into view.  
“Whats boba?” Penny asked.  
Arackniss looked up to the shop named, “Bitchy Boba Tea”.  
“The fuck IS boba” Echoed Aracniss.

Fifteen some odd minutes later they're walking again on the promenade. Cool boba tea drinks in their hands. Educated on the tapioca-orb beverage they both smirk at drinking.  
“Is this the kind of thing couples do?” Arackniss asked himself, savoring the flavor of his strawberry peach boba. Penny picked it out for him. Fruity isn't his thing. But you know what. The boys aren't here. Neither is his father. The flavor sends his endorphins pulsing through his head..

Penny slithers down the way beside Arackniss with a full head of storming words and questions. Arackniss was almost done with his drink. She hadn't even gotten halfway through hers. Her face contorted in a way that said, “contemplative’. Should she tell him? He deserves to know. The silence continues.

Hours past since they had met that day. The rich vulgar night life started to creep out from their drug dens, their oily garages and more drug dens. Penny speaks up.  
“I,- apologize if I may not have been forthcoming with conversation today.”  
“Shut up.” Arackniss replied in nonchalant. “I don't really care if we talked much today.”.  
He was quiet, and composed. Penny liked that about him. She saw a spark of passion inside him that kept her coming back.  
“I’d rather be here than anywhere else right now.”  
He was also direct, and honest. A rare trait with people in hell. A right, ‘bang up to the elephant’ shed say. Guilt nestled its way into Penny's heart. She smiled from hearing Arackniss’ words, giving her motivation to seek a room.

It was time she was honest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Arackniss” Penny started. Fidgeting with her dress. She looked up and over to arackniss next to her on the bed.  
“I feel I need to be more truthful with my origins.”  
Arackniss looked her over calmly.  
Doubt clung to her flesh. She kneaded her dress constantly. “I, had originally joined the party in guise, in order to gain information. But…” She choked on her words. “But then I found you.”  
Penny looked back to Arackniss. His hand reached out for hers. He thought hed try and comfort her for once.  
“I am a little mad.” he began. “Not surprised though. Assholes come for us all the time. But I’m happy you did. Not like you can do anything about it.” he teased.  
Penny exasperated a gasp before elbowing his side.  
“OW, bitch!” he rubs his affected side.  
Penny smiles. Arachniss smiles back.  
“And.. well, there's one additional thing.” Penny paused. “And-”  
“Wait.” Arackniss interrupted “I have something I want to say too.”  
He looks like hes struggling to say something right now.  
“Penny” he gulped. “... I … Think I. uh.” Arachniss’ face became very red.  
Is this a fever? She hadn't seen him this red before.  
“Penny. I, think i…” The text messages run though his mind. Every little letter, and word.  
She tenderly grabbed his hand. He always needed some support when he tried to show his more personal feelings.

“I love you”

“I love you too.”

The silence returned. Multiple thumpings rose up in the room. They looked at eachother and heard it. Arachniss reached for her bright red face. She gripped his hand.  
“Wait. I need to tell you something.”  
In trust, he waits.  
“I said I was in guise for your party… I still am. I trust your judgement.” Penny’s eyes looked around the room nervously. “I-. I’m not who I have led you to believe.”  
“Like that will change how I feel about you.” He reassured.  
The circumstances, and the dark things he has shared before worried Penny. Such as his brother, and why he's no longer with the family. Hearing him say those words changed her mind. Reluctantly she took off her various hair ties. She found her handkerchief and wiped her face thoroughly.  
Arackniss’ expression transformed as Penny transformed in front of him. Calm, concerned, disturbed, shocked, furious.  
Penny’s voice changed slightly; it carried the same words, and elegant structure. But held a different pitch.  
“Truthfully... My title iss, Sssir Pentious.” The eye hat shape shifted from the sunhat to its top hat, fat cat counterpart. Then rested as the crown of deceit on the demon in front of Arackniss.  
Sir Pentious stood up. He Fidgeted in place.. His hair spread out behind him. His bare face exposed to Arackniss. A darkness emerged in Pens stomach, “Maybe this was a bad idea after all.”  
The spider sat there. Jaw agape. Pentious looked on in horror. A dark pit manifested inside his stomach. Arackniss jumped up. Piercing red, bloodshot eyes cut through Pentious’ heart. Four arms reach up and shove Pentious away. Arackniss feverishly grabbed his belongings. Tears stream down his face  
His words were lower than any sea, yet hit harder than any mountain. Their eyes didn't meet, Arachniss faced away and pointed to Pentious. “Stay, the fuck away from me or so help me god.” His voice wavered and trembled. “I will, Gut you from head to tail myself. And toss your filthy. Lying. Faggot gay corpse away-.” the door he opened beamed blinding light into the dark room. “And i’ll-” Arackniss turned and faced who he thought was still ‘her’. Words caught in his throat, poisonous, sharp words. Swallowing them down, cutting his insides. Visions of Penny still ripe in his mind. He looks to Pentious and still sees her.

The door slams shut. The light leaves with it.

Pentious clutches his chest and gown.

Arackniss stands on the other side of the door. Head low.

Sobbing comes from the door behind him.

He reaches for his phone and throws it in a rage into the wall. Shattering it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you Sure you’re up for another assig-”  
“Shut your fuckin’ mouth and give it to me.”  
The coordinator had not seen Arackniss so dedicated before. And pissed. An air of darkness surrounded him wherever he went. It's been like this for weeks. The well dressed man hands Arackniss the folder with an image of a demon wearing a huge stupid grin. He rips the contents open memorizing the details. ‘Wanted for debt. Owes the gang money, heavily protected, and is holding money in 3 plausible locations’

Easy pickin’s.

Looking glass up high magnifies low through windows and choked air of hell. Not a day had passed and the same stupid grinned demon framed itself into the scope. Arackniss pans over from the car he jumps out of. The target dances out nearly half mile away. Grinning wildly. The sights set into a small shack. The man enters the shed and bursts into a column of fire and ash.  
“This is too easy,” he growled.  
Seconds later the boom is felt against his coat. Frustrated, his rifle folds up. Detaches its various breaking down components tosses its briefcase carrier into a large duffel bag. Surrounded by more bags, carrying valuable green papers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Uh, boss?” an underling spoke up. Bad idea.  
Arackniss looked out from under the shade of his hat. The Family’s assignment clerk sweat in his seat across the table  
“This is your seventh assignment today. You don't look well.”  
The darkness spoke within him. “And?”  
“Look, you cleaned house on almost all the major hits we got. All that's left right now is prep work or washing the floors.”  
“Nothing left for me?” Arackniss snarled  
“Unless you want to clean toilets or, make tea”  
Images flash through his mind as Arackniss jumps up and shoves papers off the man's desk shouting unintelligible profanities through his teeth.  
Shaking, the goon reaches under his desk. “Here,” the underling passes him a bottle of gin trembling. “Head home tonight man. Take this. It’ll help you settle down”  
He hates gin. The spiders hand grabs it hastily. Uncorks it, drinks a third of it on his walk out of the room. Its poison bites his flesh. He grunts and bears the pain.He can't go back… He drowns it in gin.  
“Fuck you” he mutters shambling through the gangs adorned hideout front doors. Tears roll down his cheeks. A weaker pair of words falls out of his drunken mouth. “Fuck you…” He stumbles into the alleyway next to the structure. Long since abandoned since his Family moved in. His limping walk leads him to lean against the alley wall.  
The tears fall like rain. The bottle clangs empty in his hands. All used up, looking to him.“Fuck, you. FUCK YOU!”. A malformed pitch of his fathers voice echoes out through his inescapable mind. The alleyway’s shadows stitched together a monstrous image of him.

“ _What cant find something better to say? You fucked a MAN ARACKNISS! A little FAGGOT BOY RIGHT? YOU LET HIM GET TO YA. He did all that to ruin you! And you liked it didn't you whore?! You little bitch boy got fucked like a little girl huh?!_

The words it sewed cut against him. The shadow pointed and surrounded him.

**_You're just,_ **

**_Like_ **

**_Your WORTHLESS,_ **

**_QUEER ASS_ **

**_BROTHER!_ **

**_AIN’T YA?!_** ”

**“SHUT UP YOU BLOATED SACK OF SHIT!”**

  
The bottle destroys the specter and shatters against the wall beyond. Echoing screams ring out though the lonely air. “Its all HIS fault.” he cries. His body slumps over and falls onto the ground. Whip-lashing his head onto the concrete.

“All his fault”

Everything fades to quiet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The large figure rummages over the files.  
“All of these hits that were set up yesterday were already taken care of. And then some! Arackniss is really pulling his weight. “  
“Sir, we found your son passed out in the alleyway.” rings out from the office door.  
He felt that he should congratulate that ‘deadweight’ for being such a proactive worker. Thundering steps walked out of the front door and rounded the corner to find a long empty dirty hovel.  
“Already jumped away huh?” he muttered. “Saves me from talking to him then.”  
“Need me to find him sir?” An underling pipes up.  
“No, besides we can't find him unless he wants to be. Or his phone. And he broke that thing for whatever reason. As long as he's here and working I dont fukcing care.” they both leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He could see him. Trusty suitcase in hand. High atmosphere. Illegal permits atop a skyscraper. Alone. Arackniss felt right at home. After a while, the strong gusts of wind become unnoticeable when you’ve been sniping a lifetime or two. The rifle takes form in his hands. He locks in the barrel, and tunes in the scope. Then he hears it. That rancid humm that haunts him so feindishly.Pentious’s airship roams above in the distance. Descending onto the city slow and calm like a rain. Reflections of the neon tombs shine off of its insulting chrome hull. It made Arackniss boil with rage as he took aim.  
The observation deck. Littered with incompitent egg minions, belonging to Pentious bouncing around ignorantly and happily. The crosshairs find themselves up to the commander's chair. It's facing away. No clear shot.  
It spins around playfully without warning. Pentious twirls in a blur of pink and black. Nothing’s more irritating than a moving target, Inside of a moving target. It floated down closer to the city in a painfully slow pace that taunted Arackniss. It began to level out below Arackniss’s high perch. His hair blew around in the wind. But his eyes were open, focused, and unrelenting.  
Pentious rolls into view again. He points forward, a commanding charge! ‘Forward my minions’ he mouths. A bright smile emerges across his face. Arackniss couldnt tell what was worse. The blimp’s positioning, and irritating flight path. Pentious’s childish fun. That bright ass smile that reminds him so much of ‘penny’... Or was it that Pentious wasn't in pain right now? Something clouded arackniss’s eyes.  
He wiped away the moisture. Catching the egg minions smile and turn to their knobs, and contraptions. The crosshairs locked on Pentious’ face. Pin pulled back, and primed. His finger caresses the trigger of the long barreled death machine. The smile is erased with a frown on the snake's scaled face. His finger stops.

Sir Pentious slowly slouches into his chair. His heavy bulbous head swings to the side and rests on his hand. He looks out the observation windows, his gaze wanders. The blimp is close to passing Arackniss. Sir Pentious’s gaze passes over and meets Arackniss’s for a moment. Arackniss freezes. Fire rises in his chest. A furious flame. The trigger wiggles. Underneath his finger. Tears stream down his face.  
“There's no way he can see me, i'm in the clouds, and in the shadow.” Pentious’s face wanders back to his interior.  
Arackniss lets go of the grip. All four hands grip the barrel and raise the gun above his head. Raging fire belches outward from his face in an ear shattering scream. The rifle crashes against the floor. He repeats this. It vibrates violently out of his hands hurting them. It falls into a corner. He beats it senselessly with his feet. A kick slips off the gun and he loses balance. He falls to his ass next to the rifle. Holding his head. The tears are doused with his arms across his legs as he sits there wallowing in his guilt. He looks over to his useless gun. Its slender, sleek design is mutated into an ugly brutal shape under his frustrated beatings.  
A strong evil fight rises in him looking at it. His weekly new mantra rings out, “It's all his fault.” Jumping up. He runs to the edge of the building and cursors his eyes over to the blimp below. Alongside the building it floats. Running alongside it, his eyes burn, his lungs intake cold, and exhale fury. An antenna appears at the end of the building’s high corner on his approach. He's a spider right? He thought. No, a jumping spider. He springboards off of the flexible wire.. Farther, longer, and taller he's ever jumped before.  
He's flying. The cold air races around him as he plummets. His petticoat flails chaotically behind him. Hands reach into his coat. The surface of the bimp comes into view. A shining dagger, and impeccably well kept handguns shine out of his coat in each hand. The knife pierces the hull and cuts through the side. His light size made it easy to stop. He rips through the short hole he's created. Air pushes him back from inside the blimp. He wrestles in violently. And sees the service deck, with a door.

~~~~~

He's surrounded.  
‘By ignorance no doubt’ he thinks to himself. The eggs bounce around and playfully work on the dials. Things haven't been the same since those weeks ago. His heart aches. He thinks about “him” again. Hits heart winces. The pieces cut into his innards still.  
“I knew I shouldn't have told him,” he whispered. “What did I do wrong? I miss him.”  
Defiance and logic betrayed him. “No, i have to forget about him. It was doomed at the start. There's no way we could work.” tears welled up within him. Until it-

**_BANG_**

“BOSS BOSS!” a panicked egg boy rolls in on his side into the command deck.  
“What is it?”  
The egg-boy rolls into the chair and bounces upright. “BOSS! WE HAVE AN INTRUDER IN THE REAR BALLONET!”  
An intruder?! Now this is exciting! Pentious hoped it wasn't Cherri. She’ll most likely ruin everything. (again)  
Pentious leans over to another egg-boy and whispers “Prepare the escape pods”  
Another egg boy crashes through the doors crying, “AAAA HES HERE “ sobbing.

The panic subsides to silence when Arackniss kicks the doors open.

Pentious stares in shock. He grips his heart. Arackniss stomps to Pentious.the eggs part a path and back off.

Pentious, and the room is petrified looking at Arackniss. A loud pounding fills Pentious’s chest. A large pit forms in his chest.  
His Victorian etiquette kicking in Pentious speaks, “872 you should have told me it was Arackniss!” Pentious’s body hummed with pain. “He's not an intruder at all!”  
“I’ll go fix the hole he's made then!” The porcelain orb waves gleefully at Arackniss as he runs to repair the entry wound on the blimp..  
Arackniss’s eyes pierced him from under the brim of his hat. Arms beside himself  
Pentious still feigned cheer, “I- uh, Welcome to my ship Arackniss!” a Gentleman through and through. It's always better to start off with the right foot than ‘complicate things.’. Pentious slithered forth to him. Arms open.. He stops.

The guns raise up from Arackniss’s sides. His dark red eyes cut though to Pentious’s. The scaled hands retract and go up next to Pentious’s chest.  
“I-is something the matter?” Pentious stammered. His expression is more genuine. Smile gone.  
Arackniss approached. The pilot egg on the edge of his seat ignores the quiet beeping of his console.

**RUMBLE**

The ship quakes and eggs are sent flying out of their chairs. Bodies fall and flow across the floor like the water in an upturned bottle. The blimp bounces off of a large skyscraper and careens over to open skies. It slowly lowers itself while regaining its level posture, swinging into place.

The impact sends Arackniss tumblring, his guns falling out of his hands as he is sent flying with the momentum of the crash.

Pentious holds his head from the impact. Air escapes his lungs as a large mass drops onto his chest knocking the wind out of him. Arackniss growls on top of him. A large dagger raises up above Arackniss. Its light shines and catches the snakes attention as he looks onward into his eyes.  
The snake freezes. Gasping for air. The spider rears up his mighty dagger to its apex. He flexes but his hand stays. His other hands reach for the snake's throat. He rears up again.

Freezes.

Pentious’s horrified face glares into Arackniss’s Molten, white hot eyes.

He releases Pen, all arms grab the dagger. His nails cut into his hands enough to bleed. It raises up once more. All of the egg minions stare in horror.  
Below, Pentiouis’s eyes widen as the spectacle unfolds.

Above, the spider shakes. Iron thorns bite down on his throat

The blade plunges.

Drops fall onto the snake. He looks over his shoulder and finds the dagger in the hull. Pentious’s eyes fog up looking back up. Arackniss sobs as he gets up. Pentious takes in a breath. The spider steps away.  
“‘Niss” Pentious whispered. .  
Arackniss’s Bolts away in a sprint.

_“I can't do it..”._

The eggs jolt up to pursue.  
“Wait!” Pentious coughs at the retreat.. Arackniss breaks no stride. The eggs stop.  
Pentious struggles to get up. He catches his breath. His eyes find the dark guest flee the room. Crowds of egg minions help the snake up. The spider scurries away, slams a hatch release, rushing wind inside of the hull as a rope unfurls into the misty clouds below. He jumps and slides down catching a building that passes by. He lands into a roll and slumps on top. Pentious spectates through the emergency hatch. The spider slams his fists onto the floor below. He can hear him scream into the night. A scream that curdles the snake's cold blood. The rope retracts, the hatch closes. Returning the hull to a silence. Pentious stares as if to see through the cold steel shell of the blimp.  
“Let's head home. No action today.”  
The eggs are silent. Not a word is said, they turn the ship away. And return home into the clouds.  
Arackniss beats his hands into the floor. His skin rips. His blood seeps out. He slams his fists down repeatedly. Bones fracture. He screams and shouts.  
Voice breaks. “I can't do it.” his body falls onto the floor.

_“I cant do anything.”_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is an awful idea.” Arackniss thought. The dark sky casts darker shadows across the streets. He stalks within each shadow dancing between them traversing through the streets. There he is. Eyes catch a slender figure blocks away. He couldn't just jump in. that would break up the code of conduct. He wanted to wait till he was by himself with his target.  
Or, that's what Arackniss kept telling himself. Two blocks was his limit. He'd honestly prefer a building to sit on top of. But he wasn't planning on shooting this guy. He needed answers. Not blood. He's had enough blood.months have passed since then.  
The figure rounds a sharp corner. Arackniss could lose them any second if he loses sight of them. They moved at a leisurely pace. It's not hard to lose that target.. Caution beckons him to stick to them. So he briskly jogs to the corner. The anticipation kills him. If he remembers the scouting from last week, they shouldn't have much to turn into to hide. There's only one alleyway that he found when scouting this last week. The corner is within reach. He finally turns. They're across the street next to the alleyway. Back turned. There half a block away in the streetlamps shadow. That alleyway is going to be the best place to get them. That, or he’ll lose them in the alleyway if they know he's there.  
Running across the street he dodges various taxis and traffic. Some barely graze his hair but he makes it through expertly to catch up. His jog turns into a dash. Lunging into the alleyway he suddenly stops. The single, long alleyway is empty. Save for the littered bags of trash, and broken bottles of glass, glittering the corners and nooks.  
“Fuck” he exasperates. He's gone. His hard wired training begs him to look behind him. Hand reaches for his weapons, if only to ready himself.  
The rear is vacant. Not a soul. He looks back up front scanning the debris for his target. Nothing large enough to be deemed “him”.  
Nothing.  
“I may suck dick for dimes occasionally but I am not dumb enough to konw im being followed.”  
Arackniss felt steel press itself against the top of his head.  
He's lost.  
All four of his arms raise up next to him.  
“All of em. ‘Pal’” extra emphasis was placed on ‘pal’.  
Arackniss draws out his extra pair of demonic arms and shakes them free of any suspicious items, opening his palms and fingers to expose his weaponless hands to then put them up with his others. Nothing drops. The voice whistles in surprise.  
“I need to talk with you Angel” He looked up to find Angel descending on a wire above him.  
“Talk? Since when do ya wanna talk? Come to call me a faggot again you pint sized shit paste?”  
Arackniss pleaded, “Please. Hear me out” He grips his head and pulls his hair. A knot forms in his throat. 

Angel scanned his brother's expression up and down. He seems serious…. maybe  
“What's there to ‘talk’ about?” Angel lands on the ground behind him letting out a grunt. “Not here to kill me again are you? Well, you're doing a real shitty job of it right now.” he laughs.  
“I really need your help.” he turned to Angel Dust, arms still up. “I-. Cant talk to anybody else.”  
‘Cant talk to anybody else.’ Angel mulled over those words. Angel pockets his handgun, disappearing into his breast fluff.  
“Kay, I’ll humor ya. Let me hear it” Angel raises an arm up to his ‘ear’. “Lets see what ya got. Hit me with your best insult baby.” he chides gesturing with his other arms to ‘bring it’.  
Arackniss growls bearing teeth. “This is serious!” he lowers his hands and forms fists at his sides.  
“Oh come now ‘Niss, you gotta have a better one than that!” Angel bends over and wiggles his butt sarcastically behind him.  
Every time. Like clockwork they go back and forth with insults. Angel doesn't let up as usual. Arackniss’ blood boils, but questions petered out his rage.  
“Look. i-” he feels the barbed wire choker pierce his neck. The black pit within his stomach grows. “I want to talk” Not bad, a good start for this.  
It physically hurts to admit this to Angel. To anyone.  
"I-”  
“What? ‘I'm better than you’ spit it out i've heard everything you’ve slung at me at least a hundred times pal.”  
Tears stream down his face, and he grabs Angel's suit and pulls him down to his level. Arackniss’s eyes are bloodshot as his eyes go up to Angel’s face

“Oh? Can i get a please” Angel jokes  
Arackniss grows hot. Steam comes out of his head. A reluctant, “Please.” quietly escapes him.  
Angel pauses a moment and looks at him with a blank face. A grin wiggles its way across his mouth. “Sorry, I couldn't hear that. Could you say it once more shugah?” he's pushing it.  
Arackniss growls through his teeth, “Please.”  
Angels in front of him now. He needs his answers. Getting this over with is better than just not knowing.  
Adopting a fancy tone, and pulling a bit away, Angel spoke with hints of sarcasm laced throughout his statement. “OH, thank you 're so polite dear brother” he clasps his hands together while balancing on one foot. “Do tell me what ails you.” He leans in again, hand up to ear, bending over to listen clearly.

His brother's words are quiet. His voice cracks throughout his whispers. Angel doesn't see his tears and listens in sarcastic intent.  
“I think i'm in love with another man.”  
Angel freezes. His expression melts into boisterous laughter. He grips his sides to keep them from falling off.  
“HAHA, YOU?! Thats fucking RICH! HAHAAH. Thats a fucking good one fuck-n- Ay” Angel wipes tears from his eyes. “That's the funniest shit I've ever heard you say.” Angel looks down to him as the water falling from his face glistens alight that catches his eye.

Niss’s body erupts in heat. And crumbles into sadness. His hands shake in frustration. Coming to Angel was a waste of time. He knew that it would be. Shouldn't have expected anything more.  
He doesn't say a word. Tears roll down his cheeks as he walks away. Angel looks at him walking. This isn't usual niss. A wry, ‘fuck you,’ or an annoyed frown might appear on his face. Wait. Was he serious? Angel panicked. Images of their father flashed through his mind.  
“Oh fuck. If he ever finds out he’d be dead. Angels already dead to him but ‘Niss. Niss would be tortured for ‘fakin’ it this long. A ‘fag’ in the goup? “  
The deep dark pit in angels stomach grew singularity. Angel reached for his retreating brother and softly touched his shoulder. Niss stops  
“I- woah there Niss, I..” Angel’s words form before echoed through his mind. Choking his next ones. “I- I didn't mean it. Honest to god, i thought you were fuckin with me like you usually do.” Angels sarcastic shell is shattered to pieces. His own flesh and blood brother. Secretly condemned if anyone in the ‘Family’ were to find out.  
Niss looked up to Angel’s face with his shifted tone.  
“Hey woah, im sorry.” Angel's stomach felt sick. Tears of laughter rolled into tears of sorrow down his cheeks.  
“Oh god. What am I going to do?” Arackniss spoke deathly soft.  
Angel stood in silence next to him. “I dont know.” Angel couldn't think of what to do. Maybe a night in the hotel would help. Angels going to hate going back. The queen bitch and her Pretty princess are definitely going to tear her ass open when he gets back (and not the pleasurable way).The thought of Niss going back to the mobsters hideout worried him to no end. He can't just let him stay there. They definitely need to talk.  
“I think I got a place for you to crash at. I’ll sneak you in”  
Niss hugged his brother and held him tight.  
“Hey.” Angel choked back his tears. “It's all going to be ok.” Angel could only hope he was right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, that noodle nerd Sir Pentious was in drag huh?” Angel's tone was monotonous and bland.  
“Yeah.” Arackniss muttered across the room on Angel’s bed. His cheeks were littered with dried streams of tears. Dried salt pockets glittered across his cheeks. Arackniss was overwhelmed. He spilled all his secrets, everything about what had transpired the past few months. Everything from fuckin that snake on night one. Laughing together over the misfortune of someone dropping their drugs, and themselves into a chasm of fire. The fact that he loved how Sir Pentious wrote his texts. All the way up to where he wanted to kill him. Angel said before that he probably tried to kill him because that's what all the Family ever does. Kill the problems away. But his brother was dumbstruck when it came to relationships. Arackniss shouldn't be surprised. But he somehow still felt surprised. Angel didn't have every answer. Maybe just enough to help Niss sleep at night. But talking to someone about, ‘Everything” was solace enough from the dark life Arackniss surrounded himself in.  
They both sat in silence in their room. Angel went back to his mirror and washed away his bleeding mascara as well as the rest of his makeup. He felt this was going to be a long night. Arachnids didn't even notice. His mind was blank. His coat and belongings littered the corner of the room. He was bundled up to his neck in a large pink fluffy blanket. It smelled like peaches and a light hint of lube. Arackniss didn't seem to care. A small cup of tea rests in his hands. Still full, but gone cold. He finally sips. The flavor doesn't help. He hoped for something stronger to distract him from all of, ‘this.’ He couldn't remember the last time him and angel had actually ‘talked’. Thinking back, every conversation they had was an argument. Heads bashing constantly, ‘oh i'm the better one!’  
“Oh yeah well I killed 10 demons last week”  
“Yeah? Well I fucked 10 last night!”  
It always seemed to stop as soon as either of them mentioned good ol’ Pa.  
Arackniss looked up to find Angel in the other room. He thinks about how Angel made a name for himself. Arakniss admits he's the talk between them, he's always been better at that than him. Angel hides his emotions not as mucht but he wears them on his sleeve better than most of the Family. Or anybody Arackniss has met. Save for one…

It felt like he was talking to a stranger.

Angel got up from his seat and returned to the room. “So uh. How you feelin’… uh.. ‘Bro’”  
Arackniss lets those words echo through his mind. “Bro.” Tears well up again.  
Angel sighs. Oh no.  
Eighty, long, some odd years. Just in hell alone. And they are finally talking. Arackniss is in awe. He missed his brother. The tears dont stop. He cant stop. Angel walks up to his side and sits down and places a single warm hand on his shoulder. He thought of putting more on but it was so strange. He watches the aqueous dots roll over his cheeks and begins to cry as well.  
“Goddammit” Angel sniffles. “Why you gotta make ME cry too.”  
A small pair of words made it out through the pink covers. “Sorry”  
Angel lets a small chuckle leave him. He can't remember the last time he heard his brother apologized.  
“You don't have to be sorry, niss. I-” angel coughed, “I kinda missed you.”  
Arackniss smiled underneath his covers.  
“Look,”Angel cleared his throat, “y’know, for our Family bein all, high and mighty about boys bein the only company we got in the gang, good n shit yet our dad all homophobic and shit. Pretty ironic right?”  
Arackniss looked away from his tea over to his brother to his left. His eyes find his face and he looks back  
“Nothing wrong with liking boys.”  
Hearing that from Angel is expected to arackniss, but it comforts him still.  
Angel breaks eye contact, he wasn't sure if he could get used to talking to his brother like this.. “I mean, I really like boys, and you. I know you like your girls. Y’know. When you do like ‘em that is. Cant remember you with one- ANYWAYs.” Angel fidgets out of his bed and heads to his closet of mysteries. “There is this new thing I heard of the newer demons fallin in hell. Its called being Bisexual n shit”  
Arackniss’s eyes followed Angel to his closet. Angel pulls out a small rolled up futon and some pillows and drops them onto the floor.  
“And you know, its not like you can really ‘just be gay.’ Yaknow? You can like both, and that's what you are. If ya understand my shitty explanation.” Angel rolled out the futon flat on the floor and tossed its bedding across it. It's slightly crooked. It's perfect.. Most demons wouldnt even get past unrolling it. Or even grabbing it. Just a finger pointing to it and, ‘theres your bed. Enjoy.’ Arackniss’s gaze returned to his drink. Thirsty, he takes a short sip of his room temp tea.  
“And I mean, if you like him, and you had a great time, then i’d say hold onto it” Angel walked over after setting it all up. “Out of all the demons I've fucked down here. I havent found a lick of what you got, ‘Niss.” He almost sounds jealous. But Angel thinks about his ‘income’ and shakes it off. “What you do, with him, is all up to you. And I’m glad you didnt kill him… WEll, not because I wanna beat his funny face inside-out occasionally. But.. He makes you… happy, n shit.” Angel gives Arackniss a small affimed pat on the shoulder.

Angel heads off to shower for the night. He returns forty something minutes later surprised to see Arackniss still on his bed. The tea is finally gone. His brother's eyes are half open and his body is all weighted onto the large blanket he's cocooned in.  
“Aaaaaalrighht pal.”  
Angels about to ask something, Arackniss knows this.  
“I-uh… Gonna need you to uh.” Angel frowns. He'd hate to say it, well, now at least.  
Arackniss already knew what he wanted. He needs to sleep, and arackniss isnt helping him get in bed any sooner. He slid his butt off of Angels bed and stumblrd over to the futon on the floor and laid down onit. He deeply appreciated what his brother had done. Angel made his bed, and he intends to lie in it. His little feet kick back the large covers and lays down next to them. A small hand makes it out of his blanket burrito to pull it over his feet, but blacks out in the process, letting out a loud snore shortly after becoming still.  
Angel looks at his brother through the entire process. “Oh brother.” he whispers under his breath. He tosses the covers over him. Walks back to his hotel bed, and covers himself in it. The lights turn off around the room. Angel looks down at him from his bed. He sees a broken, malphomed spider, slowly healing his wounds. “Fuck, thats some pretty poetic shit right there.” A happiness fills Angels horny addled brain.  
Angel closes his eyes, and sleeps soundly. With his real family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sweet smell wafted over Arackniss’s nose. Trees filled his nose and carbs filling Angels room stirred his slumber away.  
“Hey~” Angel softly cooed. “I was going to wake you up soon.” Angel hands him a plate of pancakes. “Got some room service.” he grins. His hair is up in a little tidy bun. He wears a loose shirt over his body and some shorts. Arackniss judged him a little but ignored his own thoughts and kept his mouth shut about it.  
“Thanks.” Arackniss grunts through his grogginess.  
Angel lays down an extra little dish of Coffee, “I didn't know what you wanted, so. I just left it black. I got cream and shugah if you want it.”  
“It's good.” Arackniss replied. “Black is fine. Thank you.” he picks up the plate and eats the pancakes. Savoring every bite.  
Angel watches him for a moment and relishes the moment. He turns back to his coffee and pours in the sugar and cream with his extra arms. All while stirring it in with his fourth arm. One of the few benefits of being a spider. Angel dust looks over to Arackniss eating his pancakes as Angel begins to see something. “He kinda reminds me of myself. Like, Just like myself when I first ended up down here. Started doin’ tricks behind the alleys. Gettn popular with the crowds. Ended up with video deals. And now...” Angel watches a part of him start to blossom in his brother. “Is this what ‘family’ shit is like?”  
A question grew in Angel's head. “What do you plan to do today?” Angel takes a sip of his sugary milk with a hint of coffee.  
Arackniss looks up with cheeks full of syrup and flour. Angel stares back watching him chew what he had in his mouth while he frees space to talk. Angel looks to his plate and finds all the pancakes are gone. Angel looks back to him sending a disappointed glare. Arackniss chews some more. Angel waits. Arackniss swallows, clears his throat. Finally.  
“I dont know”  
“UGH” Angel grunts. “What do you plan to do about your little, Penny pal?” Angel finally warmed up. Sounding like his usual self.  
“?” Arackniss sipped his coffee.  
“Boy! After what you told me last night, all you got is, ‘I don't know.’” Angels annoyed glare turned into a smile.  
Arackniss saw his smile. He figured Angel is trying to help, but asked, “What am I supposed to do?” Genuine question.  
“You gotta go to him!”  
Arackniss coughed on his coffee “What?! No no no no no”  
“OH COME ON! You got to!” Angel urged  
“I don't know if im ready”  
“I dont kow about that” Angel retorted.  
Arackniss looked at Angel.  
“You haven't seen him for over a month since that killer instinct moment. Not only that but you had the BALLS to come to me and still stick with me after what i said to you.” Angel motions his long arms around the room. “I still feel sorry about that. “ Angel leaned in a moment to his brother on the floo and whispered, “Sorry by the way.”  
Arachniss forgives his brother, sending a smile his way.  
“And Niss!” Angel paused before shouting. “Penny is Still Penny!”  
Lightning struck Arachniss.  
“All those interactions you had were still with him! Penny is still there! She just looks and sounds different! And by the sound of when Pentious showed you his disguise, He trusted you enough to show you a secret. Thats some real balls!”  
Arackniss thought about it. All of the things he still had, everything he had enjoyed was real. And the demon he shared it with was just as real. Who's to say he can’t still have that? The barbed wire necklace cracks around his neck.  
“Y’know. Personally it took me a while to realize how much I liked boys after I started ignoring all the stupid shit Pa had said!”  
Arackniss felt a weight fall off of him.  
Angel got up and knelt in front of Arackniss on the floor. “You still love Penny right!?” Angel grabbed Arackniss’s shoulders. Maybe it's the coffee kicking in. Arackniss feels his blood rush through his body. An affirmed, “Yes.” leaves his mouth as his eyes widen.  
“And I know for DAMN sure you hate Pa just as much as me.”  
Arackniss growled at the mention of dad. “Of course I hate that Old bastard! Fuck that shithead!”  
Angel smiled, “That's my brother!” He cheered. “And are you going to let what that Bundle of used condoms tell you what you can and cannot enjoy?!”  
Arackniss sat petrified in Angel’s arms. The ‘necklace’ around his throat groans and creaks. Arackniss’s arms grow hot. They shake with growing defiance and vigor. His breath picked up and his heart pounded. Images of Penny flash through his mind. His heart beats stronger. The necklace cracks.  
Arackniss looks up to his brother. “No.”  
Angel hammers it home, “Are you going to live in his shadow?”  
Heat explodes out of Arackniss. His arms raise up to his sides. The necklace shatters. Moisture accumulates in his eyes. “NO!”  
“Then why are you giving me this, ‘I dont know,’ talk? You got a perfectly good Snake, who’s scales shine like jewels.Who’s touch renders you to jelly!” Angel asks again, “So ‘niss, tell me. What, are you going to do today?”  
Arackniss looked Angel dead in his eyes. Angel almost felt scared. He handt seen his brother smile in so long. His bright red eyes filled with color and glisten with a life he hadnt seen before.  
Arackniss jumped up. Shoved away the covers and grabbed his stuff.  
Angel smiles, “I'm waiting for my answer.”  
“Isn't it obvious?” Arackniss pauses and looks back to him. I'm going to spend time with the person I love”  
“GOOD!” Angel screams. “... But take a shower first babe! God. Been meaning to bring it up all night.  
A small sniff confirmed angels' comment. Even Arackniss wouldn't even wanna smell this. He rushes to the shower. And borrows some Angel’s expensive product.  
Angels body flows with heat. He smiles watching his brother run into the bathroom. “I’m so glad he talked to me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, you got your ass cleaned.” Angel starts counting with his fingers looking over Arackniss. “You got your suit cleaned, pressed too.” that's three. “I WANTED to do your hair but you wouldn't let me”  
Arackniss smirks and giggles out, “fuck you.” from Angel's bed.  
Angel smirks, “I also let you have some cologne. (good shit too mind you.)” Angel pauses and turns around to face arackniss.”I think you're good to go.”  
After the shower Angel just appeared in front of Arackniss with a whole shopping list of things to help. Arackniss didn't think any of it would help. But some of it would… right? Arackniss twisted his hands together. A pair of hands reached for a cigarette and his lighter. Angels hand snatched the cigarette out of his mouth  
“Hey!”  
“I may smoke too but keep it outta this room. Don't want my bedsheets smellin’ like shit. Or worse. Burnt.”  
Arackniss put away his pack and lighter with a hesitant, “Fine.”  
“You nervous?”  
Arackniss nods  
“Hey, you got this!” Angel lightly slapped his brother's shoulder.  
Arackniss looked up at Angel, and smiled.  
“Wait. where is Sir Pentious anyways?”  
“Floatin’ around somewhere” Arackniss twirls a hand around in the air in a circle.  
“For real though.” Angel grabs his shoulder. “Are you ready to talk to him again.”  
The darkness stirred in his gut. Arackniss bit his lip as it ate his stomach. “I think I’m as ready as I will be.” He's killed many people. Countless times, but this. He wasn't ready, he couldn't tell Angel. But all he knew is that he had to go back. He wanted to face Pentious himself. And most of all. Apologize.  
“Ok good cause i see his blimp over there.” Angel points out the window.  
Arackniss’ heart races as he sits up and looks.  
Angel starts to giggle.  
Arackniss glares to him. “What, you fuckin with me?”  
“Nonono he's alright!” Angel wasn't lying. He smiles. Eighty some odd years washed away huh?  
A confirming glance finds the blimp with Arackniss’s eyes.  
“You really like him. Don't you?”  
Arackniss turns to Angel. The darkness rises, shapeless, ever present. He thinks of Penny, and his time with her. Her touch, and her smile. The darkness falters. “Yes”  
“Then get outta here and go Get him!” Angel smiles.  
Arackniss echoes the smile and heads to the door. Slamming it on his way out.  
“Oh fuck I’m still in the hotel I gotta see him out!” Angel slips out of his bed struggling to grab his shoes. Flailing wildly before gaining balance.

~~~~~

Pentious’s blimp hung buoyant in the air above the spider. A low passing skiff to dispense destruction and chaos within the immediate future no doubt. Arackniss figured getting on sooner than later would be best. Especially since he's still near tall buildings. He can get there like last time. Hopefully without making a giant hole inside his blimp. He felt a little sorry about it. But at the time he needed to not die… and well attempt to kill Sir Pentious but thats besides the point anymore. He shook the thought away. He wanted on right now. He marched forward and warmed up jumping over the cars, next the street lamps. It's like baby steps for a jumping spider like him. Next was the single stories. Easy. the blimp grew closer. Three stories? He gives it a go. Just as easy. Maybe being short and light does have its benefits. He looked up to the blimp. The darkness gripped his innards still. The smile he had wiped away to a worried smear. His brow furrows. He can't back down now. Five more stories up from his current building. He jumps. It's getting harder. He reaches into his coat and finds his old grappler kit. He'd use it for special occasions. Well, nothings more special than this. Hed usually just stick to the walls with his claws  
The blimp was floating by. The tallest building was at least 15 stories tall. And Arackniss was sitting on top of an eight. If he crashes hes going to try again anyways. He’d regenerate easily. But the pain would be, well, a pain in the ass. Here it came. The balloon was close. He focused like the night before. He felt the ground give way to his leap. He twisted his body around and flung around his hook as he apexed at his leap. He was 43 ft short. He knows it. His rope is fourty five. He has two feet of error. Time seemed to slow as the hook arced to the exposed steel on the ship. It bounced off.  
“Fuck.” Arackniss started to fall.  
Suddenly Arackniss feels the rope slip almost as his entire body is jolted upwards. All four of his arms grip the rope as his eyes catch the grappler jamming into the nearby engine. A free hand pulls his collar as he breathes nervously as he ascends  
Pentious isn't going to like that. The engine turns still and reels in arackniss. He lets go before he moves too fast and still slams against its side. He rubs his face after gripping a handhold. He shimmies towards the hatch and wrestles it open. He tumbles in.

“Hey! It's you!”  
Arackniss turns his head around and discovers an eggboy in front of him.  
“You're that ‘Spider guy’! Boss told us about you!” His expression is as cheerful and ignorant as the rest.  
Told them? Arackniss wondered what kinds of things Pentious told them. He scratches his neck pondering for a moment. The Egg minion pulls out a handgun and points it to him. Arackniss slowly puts his hands up. All of them. The gun is regular sized. It's way too big for the little guy. Analyzing the gun its magazine fed, the chamber is locked back and the magazine isn't even inside the gun. Arackniss chuckled as quietly as he could. Even the safety was on.  
“I think you are an intruder! Mr spider guy! I’m taking you to the boss! He's going to be so happy for me!” the egg boy turns around anchoring the gun to point in front of the egg boy. “Follow me. Prisoner!” he said leading the way.  
Wasn’t he just the intruder a moment ago? If anything Arackniss should have the gun. But he played along. Hands stayed up for the ‘act.’

Not before long the egg parts the swinging doors to what he remembers as the captains deck.  
“Boss! Boss!”  
Pentious’;s arms reach out from around the chair as if to just show his presence. “What is it this time?”  
“I have a prisoner!”  
A drawn out sigh comes from behind the chair. “Minion! If thisss iss about another rat or bird in the sship I’m going to blow you to bits!” the chair began slowly rotating around.  
Arackniss’s heart raced for every inch it moved. He looked at his claws grip the armrests of his throne. He saw the light dance of its glossy surface. His arms tensed upwards, and in closer to his body. The darkness shifted in him. A long slender snake body slithers into view around the chair. The Large back of the chair curved around slowly still concealing his upper body. Its large shape drew back like a curtain, or a veil between them. Arackniss’s heart pounded when Pentious’s other arm came into view. Pentious looked bored. Resting his head on his balled up fist. The snake readied himself to receive the word of this new, ‘prisoner.’ He was fully facing the egg and Arackniss. The spider gulped. Sweat pooled on his brow.  
Pentious’s eyes began to open, “So lets see thisss ‘pri-”  
Pentious stops. His eyes widened and his head raised up. They looked up the spider up and down. Arackniss was looking away sweating. Pentious’s mouth opened. He took in a breath, and exhaled. He stared for a few moments longer. He closed his mouth back up. He remembered he's on his ship, he had plans for domination today. Grand designs! But they all unfurl at the seams looking at his ‘guest’. His heart pounds, and heat rises in his chest, and face. The smile coerced into a frown. Images of the dagger still ripe in his mind. He turns around. The observation window catches his eye. He looks back to Arackniss. The room was silent  
“Minions…”  
“Yes boss?” they all ring in unison.  
“Bring our altitude into the cloudsss, I have some-” he pauses. “I need to have a chat.” He stares down Arackniss.  
Arackniss looks back to see Pentious’s dark silhouette cast long shadows to him over the light flowing in from the window.  
“Take him to my quarterss number sssix-sseven-sseven.”  
The egg salutes, walks around Arackniss and leads him back into the halls.

The door swings shut behind the both of them. The egg holds the gun forward still pointing his pathway to their destination. Several turns ensue. A winding path of steel and metal groaning. Arackniss’s head spun with thoughts. “Is Penny mad? She didn't want to talk right there? I wonder how-” arackniss’s arms left their position down to crossing them, as his right raises up to scratch his chin. The darkness crawls up within him. “Wait. ‘she’...I mean.. He” his steps faltered and dragged behind. The egg boy walked farther and farther ahead. God he wanted a drink right now. He reached for his pack and lighter.  
The egg boy spun around, “HANDS WHERE I CAN-”  
Niss jumped.  
“Oh! We're here!” the minion points to the door with the unloaded gun. “Here you are mister ‘Niss!~ And no smoking on the ship! Boss’s orders!”  
The door shuts behind Niss as he enters. It's a large dark room. A large bed at the end of the room. A desk off to the left with a bright lamp sitting on top of its dark wood make. Two chairs sit next to the desk with one already in front of it. He really wanted to smoke. But he believes for a moment he can stand to wait for Pentious at least. He walks over to the chair silently and sits in it. And waits.

“Oh Good Heavensss He's back in the sship!!” Pentious grabbed his head and sweat bullets off of his scales.  
“It's going to be ok boss!” the minions echo around him.  
Pentious took panicked breaths as his head stormed ideas of what could coerce this meeting. He reaches for his holster to find his ray gun is properly nested in it. And attached to him. Grim feelings run throughout his mind feeling it to the thought of Arackniss. He lets it go.  
“You can do it boss!” one egg piped up.  
“Yeeeeahh!!” they all echo.  
“We all know what you like about him!”  
“Hes seems very nice!”  
Pentious feels his grip loosen.  
“Ok boss!” an eggboy swings the doors open. “He's waiting in your quarters!” The eggboy still holds the gun in his hands.  
“Put that gun away!” Pentious sighs  
He does so.  
Pentoius looks around the hull and stares out of the window. His breathing steadies. Wrinkles spread across his suit as he grabs his chest. A large intake of oxygen fills his lungs. Its cooling presence soothes him. He exhales. The other hand reaches down to his side.  
A few snaps click around the room. Pentious reaches up. As he stands up, and places his raygun on the captain's chair.  
“Continue manning the controlss.” Pentious looked to the doors and slithered off.  
The eggs all cheer with louder conviction. “You got it boss!!”  
The conviction is rubbed off on Pentious. He slithers tall and proud.

The door was dark, large, and heavy. Pentious traced his fingers across the knob,struggling to grip its brass and push forward. Thunder pounded in his chest. His left reached up to grab his chest and settle it down. It continued to rise. The anticipation pained him. What will he say? What will he do? Pentious asked about the spider. But they were also meant for himself. What is there to say? A spider boy, who he has spent months spending time with, caring, loving. For it to be suddenly shattered by his own ideals. His own, ‘sexuality’. To later almost kill him.  
But. He didn’t” Pentious said quietly. “He didn't kill me”  
He did try to kill him at the start. Why? But He couldn't do it? Pentious sees his crying face from that night. Those beautiful red eyes were overflowing with sorrow, and pain. That spider had been beaten, abused, humiliated, stripped of life, reduced to a tool. A single purpose. Yet. Pentious couldn’t help but go to him. His claws shook, they lightly rattled the loose brass handle as his grip steadied its noise, It turned.  
The door creaks open. The lights are off, but Pentious could see everything. He sees his bed, his desk, the chairs…  
Then him.  
His heart races. Breath enters his lungs again. He slithers forward and stops to see him. He flicks the lights on.. To absorb the room., and him. The door closes slowly, and daintily behind him.  
“G-Good morning Pentious.” Arackniss spoke quietly. His gaze breaks eye contact.  
Pentious watches him fidget saying those words. He echos back softly. “Good morning.”  
The two sit in silence a moment.  
“Why are you here?” Pentious asked.  
Arackniss is silent. Answers race through his head. Darkness gripped his ribcage.  
“Pray Tell. Lasst time you were here you tried to kill me. Didn’t you?” Pentious’s tone was calm, quiet. He watched the spider fidget, and recede in his seat to hearing those events. “That was your purpose that night wasn't it?” he slithered forth. To his desk close to the wall. “Perhaps. You came here by your own volition?” Pentious traced his desk with a finger slithering closer to Arackniss. His expression becomes soft, “or. Perhaps you came for me?” He averts his gaze at his outward thought.  
Arackniss gripped his pants. Teeth bit into his lip.  
“Remove it”  
Arackniss whipped his head around to look at Pentious above him. Sending him a look of confusion.  
Pentious said again, “Remove it.” he holds a hand up between them. “Your coat if you will. And. Your holsters”  
Arackniss looked at his pink eyes and found no sarcasm in them. He slides off the seat.  
“AH” Pentious barked. “Slowly…”  
Arackniss froze on the floor. He stood up. And removed his hat and handed it to Pentious. All of his weapons were on him every hour of the day. He'd consider them a part of his body for living with them for so long. A demons gotta defend himself in hell. Giving that up would mean eventual death. Looking at Sir Pentious, convinced him to betray that instinct. He thinks, “If its for Penny. For Pentious… I’ll do it.” He takes his coat off, and places it on top of the hat. The hand stays. Arackniss looks to his holsters, four guns cradled in them. He had forgotten about them. Another look to Pentious finds he still requires more.

This was a test of trust. And… maybe a little bit of fun for Pentious. He watches his little guest take his clothes off. But something came to mind. As Arackniss peeled away his clothes, his weapons, his defences. Pentious could feel layers peel, and fall away like flower petals. The guns rested in his hands. The hand stays. The pink eyes look him over every second. He begrudgingly takes his dress shirt off. His chest is coated in a single shade of black. Just like his arms and head. He's thin, athletic, strong, nimble. Pentious could read his build and it calmed his heart. Pentious’s shrewd expression from the start quickly faded to one of concern, and care.  
The tools are stripped from him. The classy suit is ripped from him, with his title of assassin.small, beaten scars littler across his body. He is tough. And he has endured. The smell is more apparent now. He smells lightly of smoke, and aged spirits. His muscle groups are slender, built for endurance: running. His silhouette is thin. Small. Almost fragile.  
Exposed.

The shirt lands in his hands. Pentious looks at it. He looks at Arackniss. His arms are crossed across his torso. He covers up his body and faces away to the center of the room.  
“Anything else?” He bites with sarcasm.  
Pentious places down the articles of clothes on his desk. Loud clanging and metal scraping ring out as they rest onto the desk. He turns back to the spider.  
Pentious smiles shrewdly again.“One last thing.”  
He slithers around and behind Arackniss analyzing the folds in the clothes and any weapons left on him. Nothing is strapped to his body, no guns, no knives, no poison, bullets, wires, smokes, or even a deck of cards. Well, not that he would hold any but, you know?  
“Arms out”  
Niss knows the drill. It sounds like a simple pat down. Seems that Pentious knew about it. Guess they had a means of safety back in the day like that too. He reaches his arms outward and prepares. His face turns red. Pentious slowly traces his hands along the upper body of him. Noting the coat of fur is all very thin, which makes hiding any weapon impossible inside of it.  
Pink claws trace the silhouette of the spider. He was quick, a light search confirmed his hypothesis.  
He reaches into his pockets. And finds his smokes and lighter. Placing them gingerly next to the seat. Arackniss’s heart pounded. His hands balled up on the ends.  
The snake's claws reach down the pant legs and find spare mags littering his belt on his back. He strips them from the spider and places them with the rest of the collection. His hands reach for his legs. Tracing their shapes and searching for any irregularities. He goes around in front of Arackniss. The spider averts his gaze. Trying hard not to think about WHO exactly is frisking him. Pentious leans in close.  
“You appear to be acceptable, Dear” He giggles  
Arackniss brings his arms in and stares him down. Face full of red. The shock of that word made his heart pound.  
“You horny snake.” he feigned a frown.  
“I do consider myself quite a Gal-sssneaker when I feel it.” Pentious smiled and gazed tenderly at him.  
He saw the man he had met that night. He sees a spider who has struggled in life, and now struggles in hell. A Family of responsibilities, and pain. And another shattered family of business, and monolithic pressure. A small shining light peers through underneath its dark silhouette. It's incredibly sweet.  
Arackniss looks at Sir Pentious. He sees the eyes of the woman that night. He sees the tenderness within that he adores. The smile that begs him to do the same. A playful brightness still glowed from his eyes. Just like her eyes always have. He tastes the Tea again. He wants to go get more. The darkness wells within him. The Confession echoes through his mind, the dress, the snake, the makeup. The crash.  
“I am so-” tears roll down his face.” So, so sorry.” He sniffled.  
The feigning frown, quickly becomes all too genuine as he falls to the ground clinging to the snakes coat. Just when he had thought he was done crying, when it rains, it pours.  
“I'm sorry.” he keeps going, “please. I'm, I'm sorry.”  
Pentious kneels to him and holds him.  
“I never wanted to hurt you.” he barely speaks between his tears.  
Pentious begins to well up.  
“I don't care anymore if you have a dick or whatever. I don't care if you had.. Had tricked me” he sniffs, “I. I want to spend more time with you” His hands reach up and hold Pentious’s coat. “I don't want to be alone anymore”  
Pentious pulls him in close. Tears flow down his cheeks as he sobs onto Arackniss’s head. “I-” he chokes, “I- i'm sorry I hadn't told you. I, i'm sorry I started this whole thing.”  
“Shut up.” Arackniss looked up to him. “I don't care anymore. I just.” he watches the tears glisten off of Pentious’s cheeks. The darkness builds up to his throat. “I couldn’t decide before. *sniff* after you told me.”  
Pentious wiped away some tears from his face, “what?”  
“Its, all my fault. And It took me a while to figure it out. With some help.. But…I didn't realize it after that night. Y’know,” He hated to say it. He hated to admit he would do such a thing. “The night I tried to kill you.”  
They lock eyes. Arackniss rests his hands on Pentious’s shoulders and pulls him in. The darkness wanes across his weak body. “I-”

Pentious leans into his proximity.

“I love you.”

Their lips meet each other. They stifle each other sobbing as tears roll down their faces. Pentious grips the hips of the spider. The spider reaches his arms around the snake. They hug each other tightly and their hearts thunder together in a waterfall of tears.

They break apart a moment,  
“I had always loved you.” Arackniss continued. “Disguise or not.”  
“I love you more!” they roll across the floor resuming their musing.  
Pentious plants a hand down and lifts up Arackniss. Arackniss locks his legs around Pentious as he's lifted up, and tossed together onto the bed.

They kiss on the bed, the sheets contort and warp to their presence.  
“Who was it that helped you see?’ Pentious breaks away.  
“You're gonna hate this.”  
“Tell me, my dearest ‘niss”  
He loved hearing that. ‘Dearest.’  
“My brother.” He laughed  
Pentious grumbled. “As much as I despise him.” he paused. “I, think this is the most... passable thing he has done.”  
Arackniss laughs. Pentious looks at the spider clinging to him and echos back laughter. The sheets fly up, and some fall off the bed.

Arackniss sees his face and is suddenly bothered. But he feels the scaled hands and is calmed. He looks away from Pentious. But at the same time he wanted to look into the eyes of the snake he cares about. His eyes darted back to Pennys face repeatedly. Face growing red again. He wanted Proximity with ‘her.. So he reached for Pentious. And hugged him tight. And he stayed hugging him. He didnt want to leave. Pentious hugged back. Tears streamed down Arackniss’s face. His heart fluttered in excitement and panic. This was wrong. But, he didn't want to be anywhere else.  
“Niss… y-youre shaking”  
Arackniss looked up into Pennys worry filled eyes as he recoiled back to grab his arms and brush himself off of the imaginary dirtyness hes think he's caught.  
“I won't force you to do anything, Niss” Pentious calmly tells him. “I'm happy to be with you. My little spider. Immeasurably happy.”  
Arackniss smiles at the thought. How long had he been panting. His mind became heavy, and fogged.  
“I'm kinda tired, Penny. C-”  
He looks up to him; he sees the woman he met that night at the party, it dissolves into a brighter, clearer image of Pentious. He takes a very deep breath. The darkness dissipates.  
“Pentious.Can I sleep here tonight?”

“Youre so hard on yourself darling. You look like you worked yourself to the bone! ” Pentious’s smile is tender. And genuine. Arackniss’ legs wobble a bit from exhaustion. They lay side by side on the bed. Arackniss spends time staring at Sir Pentious .  
“You can stay here as long as you wish it.”  
Arackniss smiles.  
The spider reaches for the snake. And the snake reaches back.

It was like the first night all over again. But _better_.

The End.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Slang:

Chuckaboo: a nickname given to a close friend

Bang up to the elephant: Originated in London in 1882 Perfect, complete, unapproachable

Arfarfan’arf: A description given to people that are inebriated: Drunk

Gal-Sneaker: A term popular in the 1870’s for a man devoted to seduction.


End file.
